


Matchless Day

by TiffanyF



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-06
Updated: 2013-02-06
Packaged: 2017-11-28 09:17:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/672767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiffanyF/pseuds/TiffanyF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Rikkai fic exchange on livejournal. Yanagi watches Akaya as Akaya watches everything around him. Don't own, don't claim, no money made here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Matchless Day

Akaya was clueless. After much observation, that was the conclusion that Yanagi was forced to draw. He didn’t mean about school or tennis - unless it was English - but rather clueless about how the Master felt about him. Akaya was content to wander through the day being a little demon and generally causing problems wherever he could. (Yanagi knew that Niou was taking the younger boy under his wing and teaching him some basics of pranking) Yanagi was forced to watch from the edge of everything, as he often did when gathering data, but it was harder where Akaya was concerned. All he really wanted to do was grab the younger boy and kiss him. But cluelessness aside, Yanagi had a feeling that Yukimura would kill him for daring to touch the baby of the team.

Yanagi wasn’t sure whose bright idea it was to invite Shitenhoji to come and play practice matches against Rikkai on their home courts, but he could already feel a headache starting up and they hadn’t even made it through the game line-up yet. 

“Renji, will you sit on Akaya for me, please?” Yukimura asked softly. “Touyama is twice as hyper and I’m worried what might happen should they face each other.”

“Of course, Seiichi,” Yanagi replied. “Akaya, come on and we’ll warm up together.”

Yanagi had to bite back a smile when he saw Shiraishi threatening the youngest Shitenhoji player with his bandaged arm and the other’s reaction to it. Touyama Kintaro was either gullible or stupid to believe the story of the poisoned arm, but it did seem to keep him in line. Yanagi suspected that was the main reason Shiraishi did it. Akaya appeared at Yanagi’s side with a grin. “Boy he’s dumb, isn’t he, Yanagi-sempai?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t let Niou or Marui overhear you, Akaya,” Yanagi replied. “They might start bringing in new English words and making up meanings for them again. You remember what happened last time?”

“Yukimura-buchou would stop them,” Akaya said.

Yanagi wasn’t too sure of that. He knew for a fact that Yukimura had been extremely amused by the incident, and the teacher’s reaction to the essay Akaya had handed in the week after Niou’s “teaching” lesson. None of the team had realized exactly how much of a sponge Akaya truly was, and all vowed to be a little more careful what they said around him for the near future. “Here, Akaya,” Yanagi said instead, “let me watch you for a minute.”

Akaya caught the ball and fell into place to serve against the wall. Yanagi leaned against a nearby tree and watched the younger player. Akaya had come a long way since his appearance in seventh grade announcing that he was going to defeat the three demons and become the number one player in Rikkai. If Yanagi was pressed, he would say that Akaya was about the eighth most powerful player in the school, maybe the seventh if one of the regulars was having an off day. When they all went to high school and left Akaya in charge of the team, he would finally have his dream of being the most powerful. But Yanagi also knew that Akaya wouldn’t be happy earning the position in such a way, because he would know that he hadn’t managed to ever beat one of the demons in a match. Yanagi also knew that Sanada and Yukimura were concerned about leaving Akaya - as he was - as buchou for the team. 

Streaks of red and silver caught Yanagi’s eye - impossible some would say because they were closed at the time - and he turned his head just in time to see Niou run out onto the warm-up court with a box in his hand. “Hey brat, hit the cake!” Niou called tossing the box up in the air.

“No!” Marui yelled as the yellow ball impacted on the carboard and cake flew everywhere, including into Marui and Akaya’s hair. Niou and Yanagi had managed to stay clear of the flow, somehow. “Niou, you bastard! That was my only cake. How the hell am I supposed to play a match now?”

Niou smirked and ran away back towards the courts. Yanagi shook his head. “Marui, you always have snacks in your locker,” he said. “Go get something from there and you’ll be fine.”

“Niou hid them all,” Marui said. “Akaya, why did you hit the box?”

“Because it was there. I’m sorry, Marui-sempai,” Akaya said. “I didn’t know it was your only cake. There’s some snack cakes in my locker. You can have them.”

“There you go, Marui,” Yanagi said. “Has Seiichi announced the playing order yet?”

“Jackal and I are playing Kenya and Zaizen,” Marui said. “Niou and Yagyuu are playing Koharu and Yuuji; Akaya is playing Chitose, Sanada is playing Ishida, and...”

“Seiichi is playing his boyfriend,” Yanagi finished. “It seems that Seiichi recalled my request to be the reserve for this set of matches, which I appreciate. It does make me wonder, however, how well these matches are going to go.”

Akaya had joined them and looked at Yanagi. “What do you mean, Yanagi-sempai?” he asked.

“I believe that Seiichi and Shiraishi are planning to have some fun with us all, Akaya,” Yanagi smiled. “Come on, we should get back to watch the matches and support our team. Marui, go get those cakes and get ready for your match. I’ll deal with Niou.”

“Thanks, Yanagi,” Marui smiled.

“Can I stay here for a while, Yanagi-sempai?”

“No, Akaya, not with another team here,” Yanagi said. “Seiichi wants you to watch the matches, remember? This is training for when you become buchou.”

“Sanada-fukubuchou won’t let that happen,” Akaya sighed as they started back towards the courts.

“Of course he will, Akaya. You just need to learn a little more about leadership and you’ll be fine.” Yanagi squeezed Akaya’s shoulder - the only contact he would allow himself with the younger boy. “And we won’t be far away if you need help or advice.”

Akaya nodded and went to sit next to Yagyuu on the wall by the grassy hill by the courts. Yanagi sighed softly and joined his best friends. “Seiichi, Niou stole Marui’s cake and destroyed it.”

“That’s impossible, Renji, he’s been here the whole time talking with Shiraishi,” Yukimura said.

“Then Niou has a twin running around, or....”

“Yagyuu only did just sit down,” Yukimura finished the thought. They both turned to look at the Gentleman. He smiled. “Those two.”

“I suggest laps,” Yanagi said. “They are risking a loss for the team, after all.”

“I’ll deal with them once we’re done here,” Yukimura said. “We’re going to run both doubles matches at the same time, Renji. Will you judge the doubles one match for me, please? Genichiro is going to take doubles two.”

Yanagi’s eyes cracked open. “You want me to judge a match between the two trickiest teams in the junior high tennis circuit?” he asked.

“Yes.” Yukimura turned a full smile on him. “Renji, you have the best vision of anyone on this team. You’ll be able to tell what’s real about half the time, which is more than I can say for any of the players here. Suke and I talked about this and agree that you’re the best one for that match.”

“If I must,” Yanagi said. “I suppose it will give me a good chance to collect some information on all of them. This will be interesting.”

Yukimura laughed. “Indeed it will. I look forward to it.”

The things I let myself be talked into, Yanagi thought as he walked to the chair by the court that would be used for doubles one. He caught the look that Sanada sent his way, a mingled expression of pity and amusement. Yanagi allowed himself a moment to consider what would happen if Sanada were to judge the doubles one match and almost laughed aloud at the image of Niou, Yagyuu, Koharu, and Yuuji on the court unconscious from slaps of doom. Sanada took tennis seriously, almost too seriously at times, and he just tolerated Niou and Yagyuu. Four pranksters on the court would be too much for his poor mind to deal with.

“Oi, Yanagi, quit dreaming,” Niou called. “We’re ready to start.”

“Yes, we are,” Koharu added, his arms draped around his tennis partner. Yanagi knew that it was their opening bit, playing on the reaction of their opponents to the idea of them dating. “Uh, aren’t you guys going to say anything?”

“Yeah, how do you play when you’re draped over each other like that?” Niou asked, setting his racket on his left shoulder with a smirk. “Yagyuu and I tried it once and ended up with bruises in some very unusual and painful places. We learned that tennis, while it can be a doubles sport, needs to be played separately.”

Score one for Niou, Yanagi thought, even though he wasn’t sure it was Niou who had said it. But, then again, when they were switched, it really didn’t matter who was who. They liked to say that Niou was Yagyuu and Yagyuu was Niou no matter where they were, and at times he thought it was true. They could certainly almost read the other’s mind, though it was a little disturbing when one of them would start a thought and the other would finish it.

The match started and Yanagi was amused and amazed at the level of both play and pranks that were used throughout the games. He thought that Yukimura had been right, he only caught about half of what was actually going on, but it was enough and he was able to judge a fairly fair match; Rikkai winning, of course. They wouldn’t dare do anything else on their home courts, though Yanagi wasn’t too sure how Yukimura would feel about the scorch marks on the court and the net. He thought that had been going a bit far on Niou’s part, but they had won in the end, so that was what really mattered.

He wished Akaya luck in his match and sat down on the hill to enjoy the sun and watch the matches. Yanagi tried not to be too obvious in his observations of Akaya, but found his eyes constantly drifting back to the younger player. Sanada strolled over and leaned up against the wall next to his friend. “That was quite a match that Niou and Yagyuu played,” he said.

“Oh, yes, that reminds me, Genichiro,” Yanagi said. “I believe that Seiichi will need your help once we’re done here. He has some punishment to mete out, and I’m not sure exactly what he has planned.”

Sanada glanced over before looking back at the courts. “I don’t want to know, do I?”

“I believe that Niou and Yagyuu played their whole match switched,” Yanagi said, “as Yagyuu dressed as Niou stole Marui’s cake and tricked Akaya into destroying it.”

“I was right, I didn’t want to know. But it would explain why Marui was lagging so badly near the end of his match,” Sanada said. He tugged down his cap and sighed. “Jackal played most of the last game for them, which is unusual.”

“How true. Would you happen to know why Akaya is playing against Chitose?”

“He’s hoping that Akaya might be able to open another gate if he sees it,” Sanada replied. “Seiichi and I are both concerned about Akaya’s devil mode and want to give him more techniques to rely on. We’re hoping that he’ll find a way to play without it, eventually.”

Yanagi nodded. “Demon mode was bad enough, but at least he stayed moderately aware of his surroundings and could be stopped. Devil mode scares me, Genichiro. I worry about how completely he is controlled by it. Players should control their techniques, not the other way around.”

“You really like him, don’t you, Renji?”

“Of course I do. He’s like a younger brother.”

“For someone so smart, you’re being stupid.”

Yanagi was silent for a long moment, watching Akaya on the court. He could tell the younger player was struggling and hoped that Yukimura’s gamble paid off. “I cannot recall the last time I was called stupid, Genichiro.”

“Renji, you know as well as I do, probably better, that Jackal is the only one on this team who likes girls,” Sanada said. “So why don’t you just tell Akaya how you feel and get it over with? You know he looks up to you.”

“If only it were that simple,” Yanagi said. “For one, Seiichi would murder me.”

“I don’t think he would. He only wants Akaya to be happy.”

“As do I, but I believe I’ll wait until Akaya is a little older before I say anything,” Yanagi said. “And it is not because I’m scared he’ll reject me. The time isn’t right, and I believe I can live with my feelings for as long as I have to.”

Sanada sighed and pushed off the wall. “You’re as stubborn as he is,” he said. “Today would be the perfect chance, too.”

“Why?”

“Because he just lost his match.”

Yanagi looked around and saw Akaya stalking towards him. “Well played, Akaya,” he said. “I’m impressed.”

“I lost,” Akaya said. He faced Sanada with a look of resignation on his face.

“Yukimura told me I can’t today,” Sanada said. He tugged his hat down and walked off.

“It’s true,” Yanagi said. “Seiichi instructed Genichiro not to slap anyone who lost their match today. I believe it was so we would appear normal to Shitenhoji.”

“Why would he care?” Akaya asked. He hopped up on the wall and flopped down on the grass. “They’re not normal, Yanagi-sempai, so why should we have to pretend to be something we’re not?”

Yanagi smiled. “That’s a good point, Akaya,” he said. “I believe it’s to be good hosts for Shitenhoji. Remember that it’s important to be a good host when another team visits your home courts.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Akaya said. “Yanagi-sempai, has anyone considered that I don’t want to be buchou next year?”

Yanagi’s eyes flew open and he stared at Akaya in shock. Akaya grinned and started laughing. “I’m joking,” he said as he gasped for air. “I’ll make sure we regain our crown, Yanagi-sempai. I’ll bring Rikkai back to the top.”

“I’m sure you will, Akaya,” Yanagi said. “But remember what I said. We’ll always be here if you need us for anything. And that includes practice matches.”

“I will defeat you all and prove I’m the strongest,” Akaya insisted.

“Keep working towards that dream, Akaya. But don’t expect to beat Genichiro, Seiichi or myself any time soon. Our level of play is one that cannot be surpassed easily.”

Akaya’s eyes turned slightly red and Yanagi bopped him on the head to get his attention. “No demon mode, Akaya. You know better.”

“Sorry,” Akaya said. “Oh, hey, buchou’s match is starting. I want to watch this. Do you think he’ll use his powers on his boyfriend?”

“Of course he will,” Yanagi said as he hopped down to follow Akaya towards the far court. “Love is love, but tennis is his life.”


End file.
